Clasp.



R. S. SANDERSON.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. n. 1918.

1,27,764. Patented 1) ;@.17,191s.

RICHARD 5. SANDERSON drmm UNITED sT TEs PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD S. SANDERSON, OF PROVIDENCE, BHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO SANDERSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. '17, 1918.

Application filed January 11, 1918. Serial No. 211,433.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known'that I, RICHARDS. SANDER\ soN. a citizen of the United States, and resimg is a specification.

This invention relates to a clasp which isv adapted more particularly to be used as a barrette for fastening a ladys hair, and the object of this invention is to provide such a clasp of a strip of material folded upon itself, forming two oppositely disposed arms providing a space between them for receiving the hair of the wearer, one of said armsbeing adapted to be readily passed through the hair and then secured to a catch-portion on the opposite arm, by a light pressure upon the two. I

One of the features of the invention is that the greater the strain acting between the arms to separate them, the more securely these arms are locked together, the clasp being designed to be released by simply elongating the catch-arm of the clasp. 1

With these. and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the under side of the catch, showing the end of the pin-arm as secured in the end of the catch arm.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of myimproved clasp showing the end of one arm as locked to that of the other arm.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing one arm as released from the catch of the other. My improved clasp may be formed of a single stri of resilient. metal, or of any other suitable material such as celluloid or the like, the strip being folded upon itself as at 10, forming two spaced-apart, oppositelIy-disposed arms 11 and 12.

e end portion 13 of the arm 12 is bent around in a circular form to correspond in a measure to the appearance of the portion 10 at the opposite end. This catch-end is then bent over in a circular form, then back and inward forming a catch-shoulder 14 and then inwardly under the shoulder at 15, and

then forward forming a stop-lip 16 spaced from the shoulder.

The end of the opposite ornpin-arm is preferabl beveled or undercut slightly as at 17, w ich beveled portion performs a double function; first, it tends to sharpen the end of this arm so as to permit it to pass freely through the hair of the wearer; and second, it-provides a bevel t facilitate the spreading or forcing away of the catch-end of the shoulder 14, to permit a ready entrance of the end of the pin-arm into the catch; the 11p 16 serving as a stop to limit the inward motion of this pin-arm.

By this construction it will be seen that any pressure acting on the middle portion of these'arms to separate them, has a tendency to lock the same together all the more securely, for the reason that a pressure outward on the middle of the catch-arm bows and shortens it, while a pressure outward on the middle portion of the pin-arm has a tendency to straighten and lengthen it.

In orderto disengage the two arms, one from the other, it is only necessary to apply a light pressure on the shouldered catch portion of the catch arm, which elongates this arm and immediately releases the end of the opposite arm therefrom.

' By my improved construction of clasp it which it may be called upon t withstand;

and third, the clasp may be readily released by a slight pressure in an endwise direct1on upon the shouldered end of the catcharms.

The device is extremely simple and practical in construction and may be formed complete from a strip of metal at the minimum expense by simply bending the same into the desired shape.

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claim.

I claim: p A clam' formed of a strip of resilient material fol ed upon itself providing a catch arm and an oppositely-disposed pin-tongue arm normally spaced apart throughout their length when closed, the end of the cat-ch arm being curled over and under forming a dee resilient catch loop with its extremity exten ing inward and then forward providing a space for the end of the tongue-arm and a stop lip to limit the inward movement of said arm and to space said arms apart when closed, said loop portion serving as a spring snap-catch past which the end of the tonguearmmay be readily forced inwardly to rest against said stop, said stop lip being free and spaced from the body portion of the catch-arm to freely move with the .unrestricted expanding action of said catch loop,- the ends of said arms being adapted to be released from each other by a relative outward pressure on said loop ortion.

In-testimony whereof I a x my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD S. SANDERSON. 

